Is a higher spec more appealing?

[Dave245]

I was thinking when it comes to buying a new computer (Mac's in general) do people gravitate towards buying the highest spec they see? For example the MacBook Pro 13" has 8GB Ram but can be configured to 16GB and a higher processor along with a full TB of SSD storage, is that more appealing to you even if you don't need that much power at that particular time?

It seems (At least in my experience) that people (myself included) are told that the higher the spec the better your machine will be, but is this true? What are you opinions?

 

[akash.nu]

When you're buying a new product & are going to keep it for some time then it just seems logical to buy the best you can afford to stay future proof as long as possible.

 

[hectorvs]

For me, it's all about what I need TODAY rather than future proofing.

If you outgrow the machine, then sell it and get the better one, no point in keeping it around.

This also makes it easier to resell machine if needed, higher priced Macs pummel in price, whereas moderately priced ones lose less of their value and are easier to move.

I've had a $2,800 + Tax MBP at some point and I tried selling it after 2 months. I couldn't sell it at $2100 after 3 weeks on ebay.

Base model MBPs that were going for $1500 last year are selling for $1200 today easy.

 

[Sinochick]

I had bought the 2017 13'' MBP w/TB w/ 512gb 8gb Ram 2 weeks ago and I really loved the 2017 MBP but I had decided a few days ago that for the price I'm paying for this laptop, I should probably upgrade to 16gb ram to future proof the laptop. I ended up returning my base model yesterday (had it for 13 days so just made the deadline to return). My new MBP won't arrive til next thursday so I have one more week using my old Macbook Air. After using the new MBP and going back to the Air, I realize how awesome the new MBP is and can't wait to get my new laptop.

 

[Dave245]

After using the new MBP and going back to the Air, I realize how awesome the new MBP is and can't wait to get my new laptop.

This is good to read especially after all the comments about the new MacBook Pro's with the Touch Bar being not as good as previous MacBook Pro's and so on, there are people out there who do like them I see it more on social media than in this forum tho. I'm currently using a 2011 MacBook Pro (none retina) and I keep going back and forward as to whether I should upgrade and get the now 2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

 

[Karnicopia]

I usually just buy the higher spec, if I'm trying to decide between two tiers of items I usually go with the higher one. I figure I'm never going to look back and say man I wish I didn't have this slightly better performance for slightly more cost! I enjoy the performance over the lifetime but the cost just stings once. Probably not the most cost effective route but it seems to work for me.

I think where I make up for it though is I don't upgrade all that often, my last laptop was 5-6 years or so as my main machine and I'll still find some use for it. So I guess if you want to upgrade often the base can make more sense for resale value but if you hold on to them the upgrades start to make more sense because the machine stays viable for longer and you are spreading that cost out over longer lifetime of the machine.

 

[ZapNZs]

It depends on the tasks versus the pricing. I used to believe in buying higher, but the general trend of fewer user-replaceable parts is changing my perspective because the disposability of laptops and tablets are getting higher, and I am increasingly hesitant to make a larger capital investment. I intend the service life of the most recent MBP I purchased to potentially be shorter than ones before, and anticipate a high probability of replacing it outright should any specific part break (due to the higher cost of repairs because of how the system is designed.) Further, because of this, I may outright sell the computer before AppleCare expires, so buying higher specs to stay technically relevant for longer periods could be a moot point for me. I feel the same way about the Surface Pros, which I also like, but probably would not invest in the most expensive version.

 

[akash.nu]

It depends on the tasks versus the pricing. I used to believe in buying higher, but the general trend of fewer user-replaceable parts is changing my perspective because the disposability of laptops and tablets are getting higher, and I am increasingly hesitant to make a larger capital investment. I intend the service life of the most recent MBP I purchased to potentially be shorter than ones before, and anticipate a high probability of replacing it outright should any specific part break (due to the higher cost of repairs because of how the system is designed.) Further, because of this, I may outright sell the computer before AppleCare expires, so buying higher specs to stay technically relevant for longer periods could be a moot point for me. I feel the same way about the Surface Pros, which I also like, but probably would not invest in the most expensive version.

You've got a very good point there. But I feel like with this approach the devices lose their value considerably as well. So for me it's more like as long as they last and then I repurpose them into doing something else. Especially with the iOS devices that's very easy to do and with macs I will just use them as something else like a dedicated media controller device or something. Although I maxed out on specs with my late 2013 MacBook Air and have to admit it still works flawlessly for all my work and personal use case.